Green is one of those colors we can’t live without, especially after a long winter. Yet in many parts of the world and regardless of the season, landscapes are being described as barren or over-logged. Deforestation and soil degradation are prevalent, and daily reports of hunger and starvation testify to the impact of these global environmental challenges.

Orchards remind us that God had something else in mind when he created the Garden of Eden. From all biblical accounts, that place was lush and it was perfect – until sin arrived and ruined it. But until that happened, the earth spontaneously sprouted all things that were good in profuse abundance. Healthy eating was the norm. Pure water flowed through rivers and streams;contaminates did not exist.

Such an idyllic location is very difficult for us to imagine today. Unlike Adam and Eve, we live in a society where conservationists struggle to have their voices heard and many of us don’t think about how green tomorrow will be. Yet the day is coming when the earth will defy its present sickly state. It will know rejuvenation. When God’s redemptive work is completed, not only will man be restored but all of creation will become everything that God intended it to be. We have that promise.

For now, we have a cause to take up and sleeves to roll up.